I ran through the field, the sound of dogs barking and horses whinnying filling my ears. My hooves pounded against the ground as I pushed myself to go faster. I had been chased out of my home in the woods by hunters.
I could see the thorn barrier of the Moors in the distance. The hunters yelled to one another, but I ignored them. As I got closer, I spotted an opening in the thorny branches.
I sprinted and pushed myself into the opening. The thorns scratched at my fur and skin. My back legs got stuck and I struggled harder as I heard the dogs and hunters getting closer. I let out a loud, pained bawl as an arrow penetrated my leg. I managed to force my legs through and escape the hunters.
They wouldn't dare enter here.
I limped my way through the thorny branches until I made it into the Moors. I could feel the blood dripping onto my fur. I took a few more steps before collapsing. I felt a cold breeze as a shadow appeared in front of me.
With the last of my fading vision, I caught a glimpse of a man with piercing, bright green eyes.
Then everything went dark.
...
I woke up sometime later in front of a large tree. I had been laid in a nest like space. The arrow had been removed and my wound had been healed. However, I wasn't in my deer form. I frantically touched around my neck and sighed in relief when I felt my necklace.
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Suddenly, someone spoke. "I see you are awake. Why have you come?" I looked at the tree, seeing the man from before sitting among the branches in a throne. I gripped the skirt of my dress, feeling the deerskin crinkle under my hands.
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I bowed my head. "I was being chased by hunters and their dogs. They chased me out of my home and I came here to escape them." He hummed. "I found you injured. An arrow lodged in your hind leg. You are a shifter, are you not?"
I nodded. "Yes. I am a deer shifter. The flowers that grow on my antlers are very valuable, so that's why they were hunting me."
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